Which city is the capital of south korea. Korea

KOREA
ancient country of East Asia, occupying the peninsula of the same name, which stretches north from the border with Russian Federation and Chinese People's Republic almost to the southern islands of Japan. After the end of World War II, the country was divided along the 38th parallel into two states - the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea, which are sometimes informally called North Korea and South Korea.

North Korea. The capital is Pyongyang. Population - 21.2 million people (1998). The population density is 176 people per 1 sq. km. km. Urban population - 70%, rural - 30%. Area - 120,538 sq. km. The highest point is Mount Baekdusan (2744 m). The official language is Korean. Main religions: Buddhism, Confucianism, Chondoge, Christianity. Administrative-territorial division: 9 provinces and 3 municipalities. Currency unit: won = 100 zhong. National holiday: - Founding Day of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea - 9 September. National Anthem: "Patriotic Song"

South Korea. The capital is Seoul. Population - 46.4 million people (1998). The population density is 471 people per 1 sq. km. km. Urban population 76%, rural population 24%. Area - 98,484 sq. km. The highest point is Mount Hallasan (1950 m). The official language is Korean. Main religions: Buddhism, Confucianism, Chondoge, Christianity. Administrative-territorial division: 9 provinces and 2 municipalities. Currency: won = 100 hwan. National holiday: Independence Day 15 August. National anthem: "Song of the Motherland".

Few modern peoples have as long a history of independent political existence within almost unchanged boundaries as the Koreans. Ancient Korean tribes were settled on the Korean Peninsula, as well as in the southern and central part of modern Northeast China (east of Manchuria) at the turn of the 2nd-1st millennium BC. In the middle of the 1st millennium BC. one of the first state formations of the Koreans arises - Ancient Joseon (7th century BC - 108 BC). In the first centuries A.D. the states of Koguryeo, Baekche and Silla appear, creating the richest culture. In the middle of the 7th c. AD these three states were united under the rule of Silla, and a single state arose - United Silla. From then until 1910, the country was distinguished by an enviable political and cultural continuity. It is significant that from 918 only two dynasties ruled in it: Koryo (918-1392) and Li (1392-1910). In 1910, Korea was captured by imperialist Japan. After liberation in 1945, the northern part of the country was occupied Soviet troops, and the south - American. The military-administrative regimes they established were replaced in 1948 by two separate Korean governments. Until recently, one of the salient features of Korean history has been the tangible influence Chinese civilization. The surviving written information about the peninsula and its inhabitants in the era before the 5th c. AD contained only in early Chinese sources. In them, the land immediately east of China was called Chaoxian (Korean Joseon, Japanese Tesen), ("Land of the Morning Calm"). The word "Korea" became widespread much later and comes from the name of the Kore dynasty (Chinese Gaoli, Japanese Korai), which ruled the country from the beginning of the 10th to the end of the 14th century. Marco Polo may have been the first to introduce the name to Europeans. However, even after more than 500 years, until the end of the 19th century, Korea still remained known to the West as Choson (often in a Latinized form - Chosun), and the Japanese in the 20th century. adhered to the former pronunciation Tesen. Currently, the official name of North Korea is its former name: Joseon Minjuju Inmin Gonghwaguk (Democratic People's Republic of Korea), while South Korea is officially called Taehan Minguk (Republic of the Great Khan). South Koreans usually abbreviate their state as Hanguk, and in the west it is known as the Republic of Korea (ROK). The country's territory has a width, if we exclude the strip at the junction with China, from about 190 to 320 km, and a length of 640 to 800 km. The total area of ​​Korea, including the islands, is 220,283 sq. km, of which 94,484 sq. km fall on the Republic of Kazakhstan, 120,538 sq. km to the DPRK and 1261 sq. km to the demilitarized zone. In the north, Korea borders on China and for 16.5 km in the extreme northeast - on the Russian Federation. State borders run along two large rivers: Amnokkan (Chinese Yalujiang) and Tumangan (Chinese Tumynjiang), which originate in high mountains ah Paektusan (Chinese Baituoshan) of the Changbeksan (Chinese Changbaishan) mountain range, whose ridges are elongated perpendicular to the Sino-Korean border approximately in its middle part. The Amnokkan River flows in a southwesterly direction and flows into the Yellow Sea, and the Tumangan River flows in a northeasterly direction towards the Sea of ​​Japan, called the East Sea by the Koreans. In the south, the coast of the country is washed by the East China Sea, which is connected to the Sea of ​​Japan by the Korea Strait, the Eastern Passage of which is sometimes called the Tsushima Strait.
NATURE
One of the ancient poetic names of Korea can be loosely translated as "the land of high mountains and rivers sparkling in the sun." This is a good description of an elevated and dissected by the hydrographic network of the territory, in which small flat areas are interspersed. This type of relief prevails on both sides of the demarcation line dividing Korea. Only 1/5 of the entire area is cultivated, while the rest is covered with forests, which, as a rule, have suffered greatly from logging. In the far north, the winding Amnokkan, which has formed a deeply incised valley, serves as the northwestern border of the country, while Tumangan serves as the northeastern; The sources of both are on the slopes of the Paektusan mountain range, where the highest point of all of Korea is recorded - 2750 m. The longest rivers on the peninsula itself begin in the high watershed mountains of Taebeksan, stretching along the eastern coast, and flow in a western direction. Taedongan majestically cuts through the city blocks of the capital of the DPRK, Pyongyang, while the capital of the Republic of Korea, Seoul, lies on the banks of the river. Hangang, the most important in the central part of the peninsula. In its southwest, the Kymgang River borders, before going directly to the sea, very extensive coastal plains, and in the southeast, the Naktong makes a large loop and ends its journey near the leading South Korean port of Busan. The rest of the rivers, short and rapids, water the small coastal lowlands. The climate of Korea reflects its geographical location on the outskirts of the Asian mainland. The weather is cold and dry in winter, hot and rainy in summer. However, significant interregional differences are observed, determined by the latitude of the area, its heights and the degree of remoteness from the sea. The interior northern regions are characterized by very coldy, and average air temperatures below 0°C are observed 5 months a year. On the plains and in the low mountains of the northwest, the summers are hot, but the winters are very severe. On the northeast coast, summer temperatures are moderate due to the influence of the cold Liman Current on the weather. The southern region of the country, including Jeju Island, is distinguished by a comfortable climate, with positive temperatures in January. In general, the main part of the peninsula, embracing the central and southern regions of Korea, is characterized by agro-climatic conditions that favor rice cultivation and intensive land use. In summer, the air warms up to an average of 27-32 ° C, and rains bring 500-700 mm of moisture per season. Rainfall in spring promotes successful planting of rice seedlings, and dry weather, which sets in in autumn, helps the harvest. Winters are mild, although at times the thermometer drops below 0°C. Light snowfalls protect winter barley from frost, which is grown on upland lands and well-drained rice paddies. Regional variations in Korea's humid continental climate have resulted in a variety of vegetation cover, from spruce, fir, and larch forests in the interior in the north to mixed forests in which conifers intersperse with broadleaf species and bamboo groves in the far south. In the past, most of the entire territory was occupied by pine forests, but in the 20th century. Pest attacks and tree felling by villagers in need of wood and firewood have denuded the slopes of many hills and mountains. Since the 1960s, significant efforts have been invested in reforestation activities carried out in areas with rugged terrain. The fauna of Korea includes few endemic species. The Amur tiger and the Ussuri bear wandered from the north into the peninsula, but now they are extremely rare. Deer and wild boars are found here, and among birds, wild ducks and pheasants. One of the most interesting sanctuaries arose in the demilitarized zone along the 38th parallel. In fact, this deserted territory, located in the center of Korea, has become a haven for numerous representatives of the animal world, especially birds. Dozens of species of migratory waterfowl also rest in the estuary of the river. Naktong (RK), where one of the world's largest reserves is organized for them.
THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA
South Korea has more flat areas than North Korea and has a relatively mild climate. As a result, despite its smaller area, it is able to support a population that is almost twice as large as the population of the North. In part, this preponderance was due to the flight to the south of about 2 million people even before the border between the states was finally closed after the Korean War of 1950-1953.
Surface structure. The Taebaek Mountains and the Seobek Range extending from them to the southwest form the main watershed in South Korea. They are composed of ancient, fracture-resistant metamorphic rocks that have been folded and uplifted in geologically recent times. The northern part of Taebaeksan is formed by the Geumgangsan (Diamond) Mountains, with their jagged ridges and spectacular waterfalls. The southern tip of Sobek is the Chirisan massif, reaching a mark of 1915 m. Many of the mountain ranges are predominantly granites, the rock-forming mineral of which is biotite (from the group of micas). This determines the susceptibility to weathering with a sparse floral cover. As a result, in such areas, the slopes are often eaten away by ravines, and the stream beds are clogged with pebbles and gravel. Alluvial plains and low hills are intensively cultivated, with paddy paddies being planted on flooded flat massifs and on artificial terraces in the mountains, and the rest of the arable land is diverted to non-irrigated crops.
Climate. Jeju Island and the southernmost parts of the peninsula have average temperatures above 0°C in winter, but most of the South Korea winters are not so mild. In summer, air humidity is high due to heavy rainfall. They mostly fall in July, when showers are often accompanied by thunderstorms. In the cold season, Seoul, for example, receives only 200 mm of precipitation at an annual rate of 1300 mm. In late summer and early autumn, 3-4 typhoon intrusions occur, which cause heavy rains and heavy winds on the south coast, but rarely penetrate deep into the Korean Peninsula.
Vegetation. Around the Buddhist monasteries in the mountains of Kumgangsan, along the slopes of Chirisan and in a number of other elevated areas, there are groves of tall pines and hardwoods with hardwoods. In spring, azaleas bring additional colors to the landscapes of these remote areas, where natural vegetation with its primary floristic diversity has been preserved. However, in many mountainous and hilly areas, only thickets of stunted oaks and pines survived; the lower slopes are cleared to facilitate the restoration of forest and shrub cover.
natural areas. Territorial differences in the physical geography of South Korea make it possible to distinguish, in addition to the two islands, 4 main regions. Along the east coast stretches a narrow flat strip, isolated by the Taebaek Mountains, which has a mild climate due to the warm current coming from the south of the Sea of ​​Japan. The relief is characterized by rocky headlands and narrow valleys. The second region, embracing a large part of central and southern Korea, is formed by the Taebaeksan and Sobaek ranges and their associated ranges and serves as a barrier between southeastern and western Korea. Geologically, recent tectonic uplift has experienced a complex of granites and metamorphic rocks oriented from the southeast to the northwest. In them, cut into rocks, winding rivers ascend with their upper reaches to the watershed spaces. In the southwest of this area, a labyrinth of mountain ranges and valleys makes the south coast a colorful area, replete with islands and peninsulas. Depending on its altitude and distance from the coast, changes in climate and vegetation occur. Against the backdrop of a generally poor mineral resources South Korea, this area stands out for its deposits of anthracites, tungsten and copper ores, graphite and gold. The most densely populated in South Korea are plains and hilly areas located in the west and southeast. In the western coastal strip, the centuries-old activity of such rivers as the Hangang and Kymgan accumulated the products of destruction of rocks from the ridges in the east, which led to the formation of large floodplain valleys, in addition to the removal of alluvium into the shallow Yellow Sea. Ancient folding movements caused the appearance of low ridges, at the foot of which loose detrital material accumulated. This contributed to the formation of diversity in the nature of landscapes. The hills and low mountains became, over time, rich natural shelters for towns and villages. The climate of the west coast shows marked geographical differences. In the north, in Seoul, the average January isotherm is -4 ° C, and on the southwest coast 0 ° C, which allows you to get two crops a year. It is hot in Southeast Korea in summer. In its center, for example, in Daegu, the air in July warms up to an average of 27 ° C and above. Along with industrial crops - tobacco and cotton, fruit crops grow, but rice dominates in the fields, removing which is usually sown with barley. This area, where almost horizontally occurring young sedimentary rocks, belongs to the river basin. Naktong. The volcanic islands of Jeju and Ulleungdo have different landscapes than the rest of South Korea, where traces of volcanic activity are rare. Above Jeju, located 100 km from the southwestern coast of the Korean Peninsula, is dominated by Mount Hallasan, 1950 m high. Ulleungdo Island is located at a distance of 130 km from the east coast of South Korea - in the Sea of ​​Japan, where the cold Estuary current penetrates from the north. It collides with a branch here warm current Kuroshivo, which is heading north through the Korea Strait. The mixing of waters with different temperatures creates favorable opportunities for the formation of a rich commercial fauna in the waters around both islands.
North Korea
North Korea has a more mountainous and relatively continental climate. Low winter temperatures and a short growing season prevent two crops a year. Naturally, North Korea is heterogeneous. It is possible to distinguish 3 large physical-geographical regions: northern internal, northeastern coastal and northwestern.
Northern hinterland. Its mountainous, cold and inhospitable territory has isolated Korea from neighboring areas of mainland Asia for centuries. The main local rivers Amnokkan and Tumangan and their tributaries flow in narrow deep valleys. On the slopes of the Paektusan volcanic massif, the main part of the year is covered with snow. In the short summer, the slopes of Paektusan, made of light pumice, look white in the sun. The erupted lava flows also captured the adjacent lands, forming plateau-like landforms. In other subregions, the ridges hang steeply over the valleys. In the southeast, the mountains drop sharply towards the coast of the Sea of ​​Japan, while in the southwest they gradually pass into the ridges and hills of the northwestern region. The climate of the interior territories in the north of the country is dry and severe. In the northernmost bend of the Amnokkan River, the average January temperature is -27 ° C, and in summer, even in low places, the air warms up to only 16-21 ° C. Precipitation, equal to 750-1000 mm per year, falls mainly in the warm season. Pine, spruce and larch forests in the mountains create a good raw material base for industrial timber harvesting. Fast rivers have a large hydropower potential.
Northeast region. This part of the country, with a wide front facing the sea coast, is characterized by a complex geological structure. Significant areas are occupied by river valleys that flow down from the slopes of the northern inner ranges, creating small flood plains in the lower reaches. The valleys are separated by mountain ranges and hills that extend towards the sea. central position distinguishes the territory that has experienced volcanism, where an ejection occurred along the coast with the formation of a parallel structural depression, through which a transit route opens to the deep areas of the entire region. The emergence of volcanic domes was associated with outpourings of lava. In the north, the Tumangan river flows along a wide floodplain, and in the zone of its large estuary there is a border with Russia. Along the Tumangan runs a land segment of the route from the ports of the Sea of ​​Japan to the interior regions of Northeast China. The cold Firth Current delays the onset of summer in northeast Korea and causes fogs. The summer months are usually warm and the winters are not as severe as in the northern hinterland. Average January air temperatures are -10°C in the north, -5°C in the central area and -3°C in the south of the northeastern coastal region. Atmospheric precipitation is abundant on the steep slopes of the mountains facing the Sea of ​​Japan, where they exceed 1300 mm per year, while in the rest of the territory they are only about 650 mm. Hydropower, developed on the basis of the rivers running down these slopes, contributed to the creation of modern industries, which changed the economic profile of some sub-regions. The northwestern region is the most densely populated and long-established territory of North Korea. Amnokkan, Taedongan and other local rivers have formed large accumulative lowlands in their estuarine areas. Protruding westward into the Yellow Sea, the Hwanghae Peninsula has a poorly dissected relief, and the local vast plains of tectonic origin contrast with the forested ridges characteristic of northwestern Korea. The mountains stretch in a southeasterly direction, but are often dissected by transverse faults. In the geological structure of the region, the role of metamorphic rocks is especially great, which, in combination with granite intrusions, determined the presence of deposits of a number of important minerals: iron ore, anthracites, gold, copper ores and other metals. Summers in Northwest Korea are hot and humid. Over half of Pyongyang's average annual rainfall of 940 mm falls in July and August. Winters are harsh and snowy. The further north and further from the sea coast, the colder; the average January temperature in the capital of the DPRK is -8 ° C.
POPULATION
Demographic characteristics. According to estimates for 1998, out of 67,600 thousand inhabitants of Korea, 34% are in the DPRK, and 66% in the ROK. The population density indicator is 311 for the whole of Korea, 177 for the DPRK and 471 people per 1 sq. km. for the Republic of Kazakhstan. km. Thus, South Korea is one of the most densely populated regions of the world. In 1910 Korea had only 13 million inhabitants; due to the high birth rate, the figure in 1940 increased to 24 million, and in 1960 it reached 35 million people, despite the loss of life and redeployment during World War II and hostilities during the Korean War (1950-1953).
The Republic of Korea. According to the 1997 census, the population of the Republic of Kazakhstan was 45,991 thousand people. The birth rate, which reached 4.5% per year in the late 1950s, subsequently fell to 1.6% (1998). Mortality in South Korea has decreased to 5.6%, thanks to advances in the health sector. In part, this trend weakens the effects of declining birth rates. The overall result was a slowdown in the rate of annual demographic growth from 3.1% in the late 1950s to 1.01% in 1998. Since the birth rate remains high, the proportion of children and young people in the age pyramid is large. There are serious disproportions in the distribution of the population in South Korea. Due to the fact that only 1/4 of the territory is suitable for cultivation, the villagers are concentrated in four rice-producing provinces located in the west, southwest and southeast. Urbanization covers approximately 3/4 of the country's population, with 1/4 of the population concentrated in the capital.
DPRK. Demographic statistics for North Korea are sketchy, but allow us to estimate the birth rate in 1998 at 1.5%. This is less than 30 years ago, but noticeably more than in South Korea. The mortality rate is calculated in approx. 1.5%. The annual population growth in the early 1990s was 0.03%. The bulk of the inhabitants gravitate towards coastal areas.
Ethnic composition. Korea is a mono-ethnic country. The emigration of Koreans outside the country began in the middle of the 19th century. and especially intensified at the beginning of the 20th century, after the capture of Korea by Japan. Currently, about 5 million Koreans live outside of Korea. They live in compact groups in China, Japan, the USA, Russia and the CIS countries. Most experts classify Koreans as a branch of the Mongoloids. It is assumed that 5,000-10,000 years ago the ancestors of the Proto-Altaic tribes moved to the Korean Peninsula in several successive waves from the likely center of their formation in the northern regions of Central Asia. It is possible that these newcomers, who still had a primitive material culture, met earlier inhabitants in their new homeland (perhaps these were tribes of southern origin: Malayo-Polynesian or Proto-Ain). In any case, archaeological finds indicate that the Korean Peninsula was inhabited already in the Paleolithic period, and in the Neolithic era, the sites of ancient man were common throughout Korea. In accordance with the widespread point of view, already then the population was consolidated mainly on the basis of the proto-Altaic ethnic community and spoke a language similar to the language of the Tungus-Manchurian group. Five centuries ago, a unique Hangul alphabet was developed in the country, created in 1443 by a group of specially selected scientists who were actively led by King Sejong (1418-1450). The written language was officially promulgated in 1446, when a document called Hunmin jongum (Instruction to the people on the correct pronunciation) was published. The creation of Hangul, apparently, took place under the strong influence of Chinese hieroglyphic writing. Before the creation of Hangul, the Koreans used Chinese hieroglyphic writing, which managed to maintain its position in official office work and among the educated ruling elite until the beginning of the 20th century. Therefore, despite the fact that the first texts based on the new writing system appeared in the second half of the 15th century, the letter alphabet was for a long time considered as intended for women and insignificant categories of society. As a result, up to the 20th century. literature in Hangul did not receive sufficient impulses for development. During the period of colonial rule in Korea (1910-1945), the Japanese authorities increasingly narrowed the scope of Hangul, encouraging and then forcing the people of Korea to learn Japanese. As a result, the letter alphabet movement could not achieve success until 1945. Moreover, due to the high proportion of Chinese words in the Korean vocabulary, a system of mixed hieroglyphic-alphabetic writing arose, in which hieroglyphs serve to convey Chinese borrowings; letters are used to denote verb endings, invariable particles, and native Korean words. This type of writing is still prevalent in South Korea despite attempts to restrict or prohibit the use of Chinese characters. Some types of texts, such as fiction, are published in pure Hangul. In the DPRK, the political, artistic and scientific literature since 1949 it has been printed without hieroglyphs using a phonetic-based alphabet.
The religious composition of the population. Most South Koreans adhere to Buddhist or Confucian canons, and often both at the same time, especially at such important events as weddings, funerals, and ancestor worship. Shamanism, especially the exorcism of evil spirits, is also among the religious cults of a certain part of the population, primarily the village. Both relatively and absolutely Korea is more Christianized than Japan. In 1991 there were about 8.3 million Protestants and about 2.5 million Catholics. In 1993, there were about 240 "new religions" in the Republic of Korea. Special place in the system of religious ideas, it occupies Cheondoge ("Teaching of the Heavenly Path"). Cheondoge goes back to the Donghak ("Oriental teaching") religion, created in 1862 by the religious reformer Choi Jae. In 1905 Donghak was renamed Cheondoge. Donghak-Cheongdoge played a huge role in the national liberation struggle of the Korean people against Japanese colonial rule. In the teachings of Cheondoge there are elements of Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism and Christianity. In the bosom of Protestantism, a "new religion" Moon Sanmen was formed (in 1945) (in English literature his name is usually written as Sun Myung Moon). The "Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of Christianity", founded by him in the mid-1950s, known as the "Unification Church", is active in many countries of the world, especially in the United States. In North Korea, freedom of worship is guaranteed by the constitution, and although official authorities do not approve of religious activity, the Buddhist, Confucian, Christian and Cheondoge communities do not stop their activities.

Cities. South Korea. In 1995, Seoul had 10.8 million inhabitants, which accounted for over 24% of the total population of South Korea. In addition to the capital, five more cities are "millionaires": Busan (3.8 million people), Daegu (2.3 million), Incheon (Jemulpo, 2.8 million), Gwangju and Daejeon (1.2 million each). . people), and the population of another 30 cities exceeded 100 thousand. Among them are Ulsan (967 thousand), Suwon (755 thousand), Seonnam (869 thousand) and Cheongju (563 thousand people). Busan on the southeast coast, as well as Incheon (Seoul's sea gate), Gunsan and Mokpo on the west coast are among the main South Korean ports. Daegu (Gyeongsangbuk-do), Daejeon (Chungcheongnam-do), Jeonju (Jeolla-buk-do) and Gwangju (Jeolla-nam-do) serve as important regional centers. Onyang, south of Seoul, has become a popular resort for its hot springs, while Hyeangdong, north of Busan, is famous for its healing waters and sandy beaches. Gyeongju in the province of Gyeongsangbuk-do, the former capital of the medieval kingdom of Silla, is famous for its historical monuments.
North Korea. No data is available for North Korean cities. Pyongyang stands out not only for its population (2.6 million people), but also for its industrial power. Wonsan, Heungnam, Chongjin and Najin are the leading ports on the east coast and major centers industry. Sinuiju, located at the mouth of the Amnokkan River, and Kaesong, located somewhat south of the 38th parallel and west of the demarcation line, also joined the number of large cities. The seaport of Nampo is occupied by the transport service of the capital.
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL EVENTS
The Republic of Korea. The Republic of Korea was proclaimed on August 15, 1948. During the period after its formation until 1994, the South Korean state lived under six constitutions adopted in 1948, 1960, 1962, 1972, 1980 and 1988. Each constitution proclaimed a republican structure, so it is customary to speak of the Sixth Republic. Under the 1948 constitution, a strong executive power headed by the president was created in the country. He was elected for a 4-year term, first by the National Assembly, and since 1952 by the entire electorate. Lee Seungman held the highest public office in 1948, 1952, 1956 and 1960, but was forced to resign in 1960. In the same year, a parliamentary system of government was established in South Korea, under which executive bodies subordinated to the Prime Minister, responsible to the National Assembly. However, in 1961, the military, headed by Pak Chonghee, came to the leadership of the country, and the influence of the president, who was still directly elected by the people themselves, was restored. Park Chunghee sought the office in 1963, 1967, 1971, 1972, and 1978. The new constitution of 1972 further expanded the president's powers. Park Chung Hee was assassinated in 1979, after which the country was temporarily under a state of emergency. The next constitution, also oriented towards a strong president, was adopted in 1980. It provided for the election of the president by a special board. The unicameral parliament, which had legislative functions, was to operate for four years. In both cases, the electoral system was focused on securing the dominant position of the military in government. To achieve this goal, the rights of the urban electorate were curtailed so that the rural districts acquired the decisive vote. In 1987, mass protest demonstrations throughout the country, which continued for a long time, forced the government to develop a new draft constitution, the sixth in a row. It was approved by a national referendum in October 1987 and entered into force in February 1988. The constitution provides that a State Council is created under the president, who can serve one five-year term, and with his participation. It consists of members of the government headed by the prime minister (appointed by the president with the consent of parliamentarians) and the National Assembly, whose deputies are directly elected for a four-year period. There are two systems in elections: majority and proportional representation.
Political parties. Until 1988, political activity independent of the ruling power was clearly limited "from above". The leading political party adhered to conservative positions and was directly controlled by the president. Under Lee Seungman, this role was assigned to the Liberal Party, under Park Chung Hee, the Democratic Republican Party became the mainstay of the regime. In 1967, two opposition parties - the People's Party and the New Party of Korea - merged into the New Democratic Party (NDP), which was eventually led by Kim Daejun (Kim Tae-jung). She was forced to announce self-dissolution in 1980. In 1981, after the general elections to parliament, held in a state of emergency, the main force in it turned out to be Democratic Party Justice (JPS), led by the new president Jeon Doo-hwan (Jung Doo-hwan), a former respected general. In the mid-1980s, opposition revived. Following the nationwide student uprisings in 1984, a logical step was the creation in 1985 of the Democratic Party of New Korea (DPNK). Although its leading figures, Kim Daejoon and Kim Yongsam (Kim Young Sam), remained outside the official political life, the elections to the National Assembly in February 1985 made this party the center of the parliamentary opposition. During the events of 1987, most members of the DPNK rejected the conciliatory line of their leaders in the National Assembly for reconciliation with the government. When the civil rights of Kim Dae-jun and Kim Yong-sam were restored in May 1987, this majority joined the Democratic Reunification Party (DRP). Unity in the ranks of the new political organization did not last long. In the December 1987 elections, Kim Yongsama nominated for the presidency of the DPV. As a result, the wing of Kim Daejoong, who also entered the list of presidential candidates from the new Peace and Democracy Party (PMD), broke away from her. The fragmented opposition was opposed by the DPS candidate, former General Jung Dooghwan, who won with less than 37% of the electorate. In April 1988, in the elections to the National Assembly, the DPS received 124 mandates out of 229, PMD 71, DPV 59; the rest of the seats went to smaller parties. Together with one of them, the DPV in January 1990 decided to ally with the ruling DPS, which led to the emergence of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Members of the DPV who did not agree with this action formed the Democratic Party, which in June 1991 merged with another small party, creating the New Democratic Party (NDP). In September 1991, after its merger with the Democratic Party, a new political education, which retained the name of the Democratic Party. In January 1992, Jung Juen, the founder of Hyundai, formed the National Unification Party, later renamed the United People's Party (UNP). The elections to the National Assembly in March 1992 gave the LDP 149 seats, the Democratic Party 97, the UNP 31, and the remaining seats were taken by independent candidates. The fight for the presidency in December 1992 was led by Kim Yongsam, nominated from the LDP, Kim Dae-jun from the Democratic Party and Jung Juen from the UNP. Kim Yongsam won with 42% of voters. In preparation for the parliamentary elections in 1996, the leading parties, by then renamed, formed 4 main political blocs. The New Korea Party won 139 seats, the National Congress for New Policies 79, the United Liberal Democrats 50 and the Democratic Party 15; in addition, the National Assembly included 16 independent deputies. Elections in December 1998 brought victory to longtime dissident and perennial presidential candidate Kim Dae-jun. Kim Daejoong promised to lead the country along an economically balanced path and push local interests to the background.
Judicial bodies. According to the 1988 constitution,
the highest court is Supreme Court, consisting of a chairman and 13 members appointed for a 6-year term by the President of the Republic of South Korea. The Supreme Court receives appeals against decisions in civil and criminal cases from the country's four appellate courts (located in Seoul, Daegu, Busan and Gwangju). The judicial system is based on a network of local courts and on the Family Court (located in Seoul).
Local government system. According to the 1988 constitution, South Korea is divided into 9 administrative provinces; Seoul and the five largest cities, Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Daejeon, and Gwangju, have also been given the status of a province. All of them are governed by elected governors and executive councils, while the districts and the bulk of the cities subordinate to the provincial authorities are headed by elected mayors and councils.
Military establishment. Equipped mainly with American military equipment, they primarily include large and well-trained ground forces, numbering about 650 thousand people. There is also a modern air force, coast guard ships and a small formation of marines. In addition, there are over 4 million reservists. A group of US military advisers is constantly present in the country and US air bases are located.
International relationships. Foreign policy Republic of Korea is based on maintaining close ties with the United States. The 1963 treaty provides her with a guarantee of protection against external aggression by the United States. Relations with Japan, which were strained due to inherited from colonial period disputes, managed to normalize in 1965. In 1991, the Republic of Korea was admitted to the UN.
DPRK. After the Soviet army liberated Korea in August 1945, North Korea announced the forthcoming transfer of local administrative functions to a coalition of Korean patriots and communists. In October 1945, the Communist Party of Korea was re-established, which in August 1946 merged with the New People's Party and became known as the Workers' Party of North Korea. The coalition administration was then replaced by the Provisional People's Committee (February 1946), completely controlled by the communists; Kim Il Sung led this supreme organ of power. In 1947 local people's committees elected representatives to the National People's Assembly. Under the conditions of the division of the country, and also after the creation of a separate state and government in South Korea, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) was proclaimed in North Korea at the first session of the Supreme People's Assembly on September 9, 1948, a government was created, and a constitution was adopted. In June 1949, the Workers' Parties of North and South Korea merged into a single Workers' Party of Korea. Kim Il Sung was elected Chairman of the Central Committee of the Party. The new constitution of the DPRK was promulgated in December 1972.
Public administration. Representatives of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) occupy all the top administrative positions, and the task of the government is to implement the line of the WPK. The 1948 constitution transferred executive power to the cabinet of ministers, which was headed by Kim Il Sung. The 1972 constitution gave executive power to the president, who also became Kim Il Sung. His election to this post by the Supreme People's Assembly led to the liquidation of the Presidium of the Assembly, as well as the Cabinet of Ministers. Instead of the first, the Central People's Committee appeared in the Assembly, and the Administrative Council appeared in the second, the head of which took the second place, after the president, in the official hierarchy of the country.
Political parties. The foundation of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) was laid in 1945, when the organizing committee of the Communist Party of Korea was formed in North Korea. It included both local communists and those who returned to the country from the USSR. It was these repatriates who gained great influence, and their leader Kim Il Sung took leading positions in new organization. After carrying out a number of organizational measures, Kim Il Sung strengthened his positions in the leadership of the party, pushing back the communists who had not previously left Korea or had previously been in exile on Chinese territory. In 1949 the Communist Party merged with the New People's Party; many communists who fled from the South joined them, and the party was renamed the Workers' Party of Korea. In 1980, Kim Il Sung's son, Kim Jong Il, became a member of the Standing Committee of the Politburo of the Workers' Party of China and was declared the successor of his father's work, whose posts he inherited in 1994, after the death of Kim Il Sung. The WPK is unusually large for a communist party, with apparently more than 10% of the total population of the DPRK in its ranks. It directs the activities of mass organizations of workers, peasants, women, students and youth. Other parties are allowed, but are under the control of the authorities. Judicial organs include the Supreme Court, provincial courts and people's courts. prosecutor's office, headed Attorney General, who is appointed by the Supreme People's Assembly, investigates all cases.
Local government system. North Korea is divided into 9 provinces; in addition, there is one city with special status (Pyongyang), two cities under the central government (Nampo and Kaesong), and one special administrative region. Each province elects its own People's Assembly.
Military establishment. In 1998, they numbered approximately 1,132 thousand people. Of these, up to 1 million served in the ground forces, 40 thousand in the navy, which consists of coast guard ships and submarines, and 92 thousand in the air force. In addition, there are approximately 540,000 army and navy reservists.
Foreign policy ties. North Korea initially followed a clearly pro-Soviet course. However, during the war on the peninsula, China provided the main assistance to Korea, and sympathies in the confrontation between the USSR and China eventually began to lean towards the PRC. After the Cuban crisis in 1962, the DPRK, together with China, condemned the Soviet policy of peaceful coexistence with the West, and in 1963 aid from the USSR was terminated. It was resumed in 1964, after L.I. Brezhnev became the head of the CPSU. From the mid-1960s, the DPRK took an independent position in the conflict between the USSR and the PRC and received assistance from both countries. Since 1971, North Korea has been establishing diplomatic relations with many non-communist states, and in 1991 it was admitted to the UN.
ECONOMY
The Korean economy went through several successive stages of rise and fall in its development, which corresponded to the political cycles in the history of the ruling dynasties. For centuries, Korea was in the orbit of Chinese influence, which affected the structure of its production and the nature of economic activity. Relations with powerful neighboring feudal states did not give rise to incentives for economic growth. Trade controlled by the Korean authorities, constituting an essential element of relations of dependence, brought benefits to the country, but at times the Korean rulers opposed economic development when it came to expanding the export of goods to China (for example, gold and silver). This position was only aggravated by the repeated invasions of foreign conquerors. In the era of the long - from 1392 to 1910 - the rule of the Lee (Joseon) dynasty, the population of the country more than doubled, which was accompanied by at least a similar increase in the production of basic consumer goods. The authorities patronized the workshops of artisans, and sometimes certain areas were obliged to provide for the requests of the royal court for certain products. However, most households focused on self-sufficiency in their activities and had minimal commodity surpluses. The development of the economy was greatly influenced by the isolation policy pursued by the Korean government from the beginning of the 17th century. Market trade throughout Korea, including the capital Seoul, was conducted on strictly fixed days. In the final phase of the Li Dynasty, agricultural output per capita began to decline due to the spread of absenteeism among landowners and an exorbitant increase in bribery among corrupt officials. In the 19th century, when the Chinese state fell into decline as a result of an internal crisis and military-political pressure from outside, Korea tried to drastically limit its foreign economic ties without breaking its traditional relationship of dependence with China. In 1876, Japan imposed an unequal treaty on Korea, and then Korea entered into similar treaties with the USA (1882), England and Germany (1883), Russia (1884), and France (1886). At the turn of the 19th-20th centuries. Korea was the subject of rivalry between Japan and Russia, claiming dominance in East Asia. After the capture of the country by Japan in 1910, economic modernization began, which on the whole served Japanese interests. The Japanese colonial administration did not allow the training of technical and managerial personnel from among the Koreans. In the countryside, the Japanese bought up cultivated land and turned into landowners. Many Koreans were forced to leave their homeland and look for low-skilled jobs in Japan or Manchuria. The colonial authorities exported a significant part of the rice crop from Korea, leaving the inhabitants of the country with barley and millet. Japan's military defeat in World War II in 1945 ended its colonial rule in Korea. A sharp break in the established bilateral ties and the departure of Japanese managers, who gave dynamism to the process of industrialization of the colony, gave rise to certain economic difficulties. But the main thing was that the industrial potential created in Korea, which fell into decay during the Second World War, could not be fully used due to the lack of spare parts and equipment, which were previously supplied from Japan. Korea, which was healing wounds, was also divided into two parts, which disrupted the established economic ties. The North was at that time the main supplier of minerals, energy and heavy industry products, while the South served as an agricultural base and was distinguished developed lung industry. The war of 1950-1953 caused great damage to Korea. The reconstruction of North Korea followed a socialist path, while South Korea followed the American and Japanese models of development.
THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA
State economic policy. The South Korean economy is based on the principles of private enterprise. The state owns railroads and communications, and to a large extent also electric power, coal mining, and ferrous metallurgy. Joint ventures created with the participation of the state and foreign capital are engaged in the production of mineral fertilizers and petroleum products. The state also owned most of the banks until they were massively privatized in the 1980s. The government provided support to private firms in the investment process, organization of production and market operations, while entrepreneurs were required to act in solidarity with the official economic policy. In the 1960s and 1970s, subsidies and many other benefits were provided to businessmen in accordance with the objectives of the five-year plans, which provided for the stimulation of export industries. The authorities worked closely with major exporters on decisions about new investments, sources of financing, export quotas and prices. A huge role in the economy of South Korea is played by national financial and industrial groups (chaebol). Many of these companies are now among the largest companies in the world - Samsung, Hyundai, Daewoo, Lucky-Goldstar (Kumson).
national product. In 1997, South Korea's gross domestic product (GDP), or the total value of marketable products and services, was over $10,000 per capita. For a number of years, the country's economy has experienced phenomenally rapid growth, often exceeding 10% per year. However, in December 1997, South Korea, along with several other Asian states, was hit by a financial and economic crisis, the exit from which required assistance from the International Monetary Fund. In 1998, GDP fell to $6,200, but at the same time, the country's industry, with the support of the central authorities, managed to maintain its potential. Agriculture, fishing and forestry are gradually losing their former importance: their specific gravity in GDP fell from 45% in 1963 to 8% in 1991. In contrast, the same indicator for mining and manufacturing rose during this time from 12 to 28%. The share of investment in relation to total output rose from about 15% in the early 1960s to almost 40% in the early 1990s. This was a consequence of the growth of savings in the country itself and a noticeable increase in the inflow of financial resources from abroad. In the 1950s and 1960s, foreign aid, predominantly from the United States, served as the main driver of capital formation in South Korea, but with the rapid expansion of exports began to dominate internal sources accumulation. By the end of the 20th century external debt increased, which threatened to exceed the size of annual exports and became one of the factors of the economic crisis that broke out in December 1997. Only large financial injections from the International Monetary Fund could improve the situation.
Employment. The structure of the labor force underwent significant changes during the 1960s and 1980s. In 1991, only 16% of the economically active population, which numbered 19 million people in the country, was concentrated in agriculture, fishing and forestry, and 26% in the mining and manufacturing industries. Unemployment and underemployment remained a serious problem until the mid-1960s, but industrialization and the development of the service sector led to a decrease in unemployment from about 4.5% in the 1970s to 3.5% in the 1980s and 2.5% in the middle 1990s
Agriculture. Sectoral structure of production. Rice, which gravitates in its location to the coastal lowlands, is undoubtedly the main crop cultivated in South Korea. With an average annual harvest of approx. 6 million tons almost manage to achieve self-sufficiency in this most important food product for Koreans. The second largest cereal crop is barley, grown along with wheat and soybeans on rainfed land in upland areas. Barley is a significant addition to rice, but there is a clear downward trend in its production. Wheat and corn occupy a modest place among the cultivated crops. Since the mid-1970s, there has been fast development poultry farming, horticulture and vegetable growing. The sowing of industrial crops has increased: hemp, ramie (from the bast of which a coarse fabric is made), tobacco and oilseeds, of which sesame and perilla are the most significant. Among the fruits, apples and pears stand out, as well as peaches, Japanese persimmons, oranges, tangerines, grapes and melons. Large white radish mu and bok choy (or head lettuce) are the leading ingredients in the year-round consumed dish of kimchi, ("Korean marinade"). Along with sweet potatoes and potatoes, they make up the bulk of vegetable production. In addition, red peppers, garlic and onions are grown, which are the most popular seasoning ingredients. Animal husbandry has traditionally been a side activity of Korean peasants. However, due to the fact that meat consumption increased every year, much more attention was paid to animal husbandry. The number of dairy cows increased by almost 2000% between 1960 and 1980, reflecting the increase in demand for milk. During the same period, four times as many chickens were kept in the country. For food purposes, pigs, goats, rabbits and ducks are also increasingly bred.
agricultural relations. The agriculture of South Korea is characterized by intensive processing of small land holdings. A peasant yard, on average, consisting of four people, disposes of approximately 1 hectare of arable land. Mass distribution land lease prompted the government of the Republic of Kazakhstan to carry out agrarian reforms in 1948 and 1949. As a result, approximately 1.5 million peasant farms were allowed to purchase the land they cultivated, which belonged to the state and absentee landowners.
Forestry. Years of uncontrolled logging and soil erosion seriously depleted by the middle of the 20th century. stocks of timber in the forests of the country. After the end of the Korean War, the destruction of forests was limited, and a vigorous campaign began to renew them on the mountain slopes, relying on improved pine species. In the late 1990s, South Korea had significant commercial afforestation, but even up to 80% of South Korea's needs for commercial timber have to be covered by imports.
Fishing. Until the early 1960s, fishing was carried out exclusively along the coast of the country. The 1970s saw the development of aquaculture and oceanic fisheries, resulting in significant structural changes in the fishing industry. During 1952-1981, annual catches in sea waters increased 5 times, reaching 2.8 million tons at the end of the period. Partially increased the volume of operations in the former areas of production, partly fishing covered new deep water areas in the Pacific Ocean near the islands of Samoa. In 1995, the industry's production reached 3.5 million tons, but the number of fishing families engaged in traditional fishing decreased over 1980-1995 from 156 thousand to 104.4 thousand, or by 33.5%. Marine life along the coasts includes anchovies, horse mackerel, thong fish, barracuda, croaker fish, pollock, and swordfish. Red sea bream, shrimp, octopus and other types of shellfish and edible algae also occupy an important place in the Korean diet. A significant proportion of the catch, including almost all of the catch from deep waters, is exported mainly to Japan. In terms of value, the leading export items are live and fresh-frozen fish, crustaceans, mollusks and seaweed.
Mining industry. South Korea is not rich in mineral resources. The largest and most economically significant coal reserves. Mines are located mainly in the northeast (Prov. Gangwon-do), as well as on the west coast. Anthracite mining is gradually expanding, although the country's energy sector is increasingly oriented towards imported oil. Almost all production is spent in South Korea itself, bituminous coal deposits are not exploited. Iron ore deposits are exploited, located mainly in the northeastern and southeastern regions. The country is a major producer of tungsten, which is mined in different parts of the country. Deposits of copper, gold and silver are also being developed. Among other types of minerals, limestone, graphite, talc and kaolin clay are important, used in the manufacture of porcelain products.
Energy. South Korea provides approx. 60% of their energy needs come from oil. Until 1945, the demand for electricity in the south of the country was satisfied by hydroelectric power stations located in the north, and therefore, after the partition of Korea, difficulties in supplying electricity arose in the south. They were overcome thanks to the construction of thermal power plants operating on anthracite coals, and since the beginning of the 1970s also on oil. The industry's capacities increased from 770,000 kW in 1966 to 31.6 million kW in 1995. The first nuclear power plant went into operation in 1977, and a decade later, nuclear energy took a leading position in the country's energy supply. In the 1990s, electricity production was concentrated almost 50% in nine nuclear power plants and about 45% in thermal plants; the remaining 5% came from hydroelectric power plants.
Manufacturing industry. Prior to the partition of Korea, manufacturing in the South was limited to light industries, which had declined after severing ties with North Korea and Japan. Some improvement in the situation came by 1949, but the ensuing war led to widespread destruction of industrial capacity. In the future, old enterprises were restored, new ones were built, but the food, cotton, rubber and leather industries, which produced consumer goods, still dominated. By 1960, the growth of industrial production had practically ceased due to a decrease in the amount of foreign aid, which largely paid for the import of raw materials, and due to the saturation of the domestic market with items of daily demand. Therefore, the government decided to look for additional markets for products of South Korean industry abroad, vigorously encouraging similar activity of domestic entrepreneurs. From the early 1960s, the country embarked on an unprecedented growth strategy focused on export industries. Initially, the main export items were fabrics, clothing, shoes, wigs, plywood, then electrical equipment, microelectronics, ferrous metallurgy products, cars, and ships came to the fore. In the 1960s and early 1970s, the output of manufactured goods expanded rapidly. New industries have emerged in the country focused on the export of semi-finished products: steel products, synthetic fibers, and plastics. In the early 1970s, the government concluded that the needs of the export industries were large enough to justify the construction of large petrochemical plants and smelters. This decision, which coincided with a surge in world prices for liquid fuels, slowed South Korea's economic development in the second half of the 1970s. In order to occupy the capacities of metallurgical enterprises, the authorities had to encourage the creation of such metal-intensive industries as shipbuilding and the automotive industry. The increased price of "intermediate" products adversely affected the international positions of South Korean industrial goods, reducing income from their sale abroad. The recession in the world economy at the end of the decade increased the difficulties and caused the national industry to decline for the first time in more than 20 years. Growth resumed only in the 1980s, when an increase in purchases of industrial products in the domestic and foreign markets began to be observed again.
Transport. During the war 1950-1953 transport system South Korea was largely destroyed, but it was later rebuilt and strengthened and improved over the next two decades. The railways built under the Japanese were supplemented with new lines at the end of the hostilities of 1950-1953. In the 1960s, a railway modernization program was adopted. In the 1990s, the length of rail tracks in South Korea was 6435 km. A modern subway has been built in Seoul and Busan, including 8 tracks in Seoul and one in Busan. Until the early 1960s, the paved and unpaved road network was in poor condition, but the situation has clearly improved since then. Initially, the fleet consisted mainly of military trucks and jeeps converted for civilian use, which were most suitable for rough gravel tracks. In the 1960s and 1970s, the roads were reconstructed, and in 1996 their length reached 83 thousand km, of which approx. 1900 km were high-class expressways. The first (in 1970) of them was the Seoul-Busan expressway, and then similar expressways were laid from the capital to the east and south coasts. The number of cars, trucks, and buses increased from 39,500 in 1965 to 10 million. in 1998. The South Korean merchant fleet has grown significantly in recent years thanks to the construction of giant shipyards in Ulsan and Geoje and reached a displacement of 11,985 thousand tons in 1997. Among the ships, 474 have a displacement of more than 1000 tons and 273 are smaller. This fleet includes 72 oil supertankers, 70 container ships, 28 chemical tankers, 22 refrigerated trucks, 131 large ships for the delivery of other cargoes and many types of other vessels of various capacities. Air travel for passengers and cargo increased rapidly in the 1960s and 1990s. Korean Air (KAL) operates direct flights from Seoul to Southeast Asia, Japan, the USA, Europe and the Middle East. Airways Seoul - Moscow, Seoul - Khabarovsk were opened. Asiana Air (AAR), founded in the mid-1980s, competes with KAL on domestic routes, which also serves foreign routes, primarily on the Asian continent.
International trade. In the late 1940s, exports from South Korea were minimal, and after the hostilities on the peninsula, they almost stopped. In 1957, the excess of merchandise imports over exports, not counting armaments, was approximately 20% of the gross domestic product, or $442 million; 90% of it was paid for by foreign aid received. In subsequent years, aid began to decline, which limited imports and almost halted the country's economic growth. The development of "export" industries, which began in the 1960s, contributed to the overall economic recovery of South Korea and significantly reduced its financial dependence on other countries. Export earnings reached $129 billion in 1996 compared to $250 million in 1966, although at the same time there was a need for additional imports of raw materials and semi-finished products, which these industries needed. Imports of foodstuffs, crude oil and heavy engineering products also increased. The expansion of imports was also dictated by the growth of capital investments and the volume of industrial production. Foreign purchases of chemical products and finished products became more massive, but their relative importance in South Korean imports was declining, since the country itself was rapidly developing the production of mineral fertilizers and consumer goods. In 1991, merchandise imports amounted to $82 billion, with oil accounting for one-fourth of the expenditure. Foreign deliveries of manufactured goods, primarily clothing, footwear, components for electronic equipment, ferrous metals, cars and motorcycles, brought South Korea $63.3 billion, or 88% of all merchandise export earnings. In 1996, imports increased to $150 billion, which was combined with an increase in the country's external financial debt to about $154 billion in 1998 compared to $43 billion in 1992. All this contributed to the development of the economic crisis in 1997. The country's main trade leads with Japan and the USA. Until the mid-1960s, the United States dominated its imports, and Japan was the main market for goods, which included small quantities of minerals and fishery products. With the beginning of the expansion of South Korean exports, approx. 50% of it goes to the US, and about 40% of its imports come from Japan. In the 1970s, South Korea sought to diversify the geography of its foreign trade relations. By the end of this decade, the US share in both its imports and exports is reduced to 1/4, while Japan accounts for 1/4 of imports and 1/6 of exports. Korea's important trading partners in the early 1990s included countries in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Europe, as well as Russia. The credit and banking system includes the central bank, 8 national commercial banks and 10 specialized banks. The lending activities of these institutions met the bulk of South Korea's financial needs throughout the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. The other main sources of funds were foreign loans to pay for imports, many of which passed through South Korean banks and were allocated under their guarantee. In the early 1990s, there was an expansion of the network of financial institutions, but as a result of the crisis of late 1997, a number of new and several old banks were closed. Inflation remained a chronic problem. The complete decline of the economy in 1945 was repeated as a result of the Korean War of 1950-1953. Then inflation slowed down, but increased again in 1963 and 1964. From 1960 to 1972, prices rose by 10% annually. The government during this period tried to regulate the mass of money in circulation, and established high percent on bank deposits to give them a long-term character. The quadruple rise in world oil prices in 1973-1974 led to a new round of inflation: from 15 to 30% in the period up to 1982 and 7.8% on average from the late 1980s to the early 1990s. Until 1980, the state sought to contain inflation, but then it had to devalue the won several times in order to maintain the competitiveness of export goods. The won was subjected to especially significant devaluations in 1964, 1971, 1974 and 1980, so that its price on the world market fell by almost 85% in twenty years. As a result of the financial crisis of 1997, the exchange rate of the national currency decreased relative to the dollar and other currencies from 900 won to almost 2,000 won per US dollar, after which the reverse movement began, ending in early 1999 with stabilization at about 1,200 won per dollar.
The state budget. In the mid-1950s, the state bore the main costs of maintaining the army, and civilian officials received a modest salary. The government received a significant share of its income from the sale of merchandise imports paid for with American loans. In addition, arms and military ammunition were supplied from the United States, which were not recorded in income items. In the late 1950s, there was a reduction in foreign aid, the emphasis shifted to improving tax collection and slowing spending growth. In 1981, the share of government spending in relation to the size of GDP was 22%, and in 1991 it dropped to 16%. Indirect taxes amounted to approx. 70% of all tax revenues. Military spending in 1976-1981 reached 1/3 of government spending, or about 6% of GDP, a marked increase in comparison with the previous period, when the corresponding figures were 1/4 and 4% of GDP. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, military spending in relative terms returned to its former, more low level. Government savings, i.e. the difference between current receipts and current expenditures of the budget, amounted to 2% of GDP in 1990 and 0.8% of GDP in 1991 and was directed mainly to ensure public investment and loans to entrepreneurs.
North Korea
Representative data on the national product of the DPRK and the balance of payments are not available, and information on production is scattered and given in natural indicators or as a percentage relative to an undetermined original base. However, there is information concerning the economic policy of the state and its goals.
State economic policy. Industry in North Korea is located in state property. The Japanese industrial enterprises were the first to be nationalized, and all new enterprises arose already within the framework of the socialist way of life. The country has a system of centralized state planning. In agriculture, collectivization was carried out for 15 years. The lands that belonged to the Japanese and rich Korean landowners were distributed among the peasants in 1946, and after the end of the Korean War (1950-1953), cooperatives and other collective agricultural enterprises were created in the village, which in the late 1950s were enlarged into communes like Chinese ones. The first economic plan, adopted after the cessation of hostilities in Korea, was designed for three years (1954-1956). It was replaced by a five-year development plan, during which the cheonlima movement ("horse racing at a speed of 1000 li"), similar to the Chinese "great leap forward", arose. According to official statements, the tasks of this plan were completed in 3 years. In 1961 it was the turn of the seven-year plan. In the first three years, it was planned to focus on the development of agriculture and light industry in order to expand the production of consumer goods, and the remaining time to develop mainly heavy industries. However, in 1962 the government began to pursue a policy of reducing consumption, directing resources to the production of weapons. In 1965 and 1966 industrial output declined and the current planning period was extended. Only in 1971 did the transition to the next, six-year development plan take place. In it, more attention was paid to the use of advanced technologies, achieving self-sufficiency in raw materials, further raising the energy sector and improving product quality. After a year of adjustment, the second seven-year plan came into effect in 1978. The main tasks were defined as follows: achieving maximum self-sufficiency, modernizing production, and improving the system of economic management. Emphasis was placed on the energy sector and mining industry, as well as to implement a technological revolution in agricultural production. However, it was not until April 1987 that a third seven-year plan was announced, which set out generally less ambitious goals.
Agriculture. North Korea traditionally received a lot of food from the South or from China, so after the partition, it had to solve the food problem on its own: in 1949-1969, grain harvests were almost doubled, yields of other crops increased. as well as the use of mineral fertilizers. The mechanization of field work, the electrification of the countryside, and the improvement in the organization of production also had a positive effect.
Industry. North Korea is dominated by heavy industry. Its branches receive the bulk of the investment, and the success or failure of official economic plans is determined chiefly by the size of the increase in output in the ferrous metallurgy, chemical industry, and machine building. However, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, small industrial enterprises were also built and attempts were made to decentralize production: this was both to make the industry less vulnerable in the event of a military attack on the country, and to establish the production of consumer goods without resorting to large capital investments. .
Transport. In the late 1990s, North Korea had a 5,045 km rail network, of which 3,500 km were electrified. Road network exceeded 31,200 km, of which only approx. 1700 km were paved. Major highways connect Pyongyang to its nearest port, Nampo, and to the port of Wonsan on the east coast. Developed water and air transport. Foreign trade and credit financial system. Information about foreign economic relations, banks and the financial situation of North Korea is extremely scarce. All foreign trade is carried out by special state companies. Exports include primarily ferrous metals, products of chemical industries and engineering, light industry products, especially textiles, while industrial equipment and machinery, oil products and wheat predominate in imports. Until 1990, trade was conducted primarily with the socialist states, especially with the USSR and China, but with the growth of North Korean exports in the late 1970s, they accounted for less than 50% of the turnover by 1980. The main partners in the mid-1990s were China, Japan, Russia and Iran. The banking and the entire financial system was created according to the Soviet and Chinese model. Basically, banks serve state-owned enterprises, from the income of which the state receives most of its tax revenues. It invests a significant part of these funds through banks in state-owned firms. different kind; Another important expenditure item is the cost of the army. The monetary unit in the country is won.
SOCIETY
Traditionally, Korean society has been divided into four main social strata. The yangbans (nobles), who formed the ruling stratum, occupied all key positions in the state. "Middle class" - chunin, which can be considered a minor aristocracy: they had hereditary rights to high clerical and administrative positions in the central administrative apparatus and the rights to leading positions - in the field. The next layer was formed by sanmin - "common people", who made up the bulk of the population: peasants, fishermen, artisans, merchants, low-ranking officials and other small employees. At the last rung of the social ladder were the chonmins (the class of "mean people"), or the dependent part of the inhabitants: slaves belonging to the state and feudal lords, kisaengs (professional actresses), butchers, weavers. All legal grounds for such a division were eliminated in 1894, but it did not continue to exist for a long time. During the period of Japanese colonial rule, the traditional social structure of Korean society actually ceased to exist.
The Republic of Korea. The current elite in almost every sphere of South Korean life consisted mainly of the descendants of yangbans (nobles). Spouses are usually selected from the same social group, and a man of low birth, who has achieved a high official position or wealth, seeks to intermarry through children with more noble families. Family ties and contacts established at school are highly valued in Korean society. Each member of the elite, regardless of where he happened to be born, is associated with a certain clan, which has long associated itself with one or another geographical area(the so-called pon system). Thus, a prejudiced attitude towards the inhabitants of the northern provinces (especially the province of Pyongan) and a discriminatory policy towards the population of the provinces of Jeolla-Namdong (Jeolla-Pukto) were characteristic. Because relatively few Koreans have received higher education, contacts for many years are maintained not only by college graduates, but also by classmates in middle and even elementary school. Meetings, contacts, mutual assistance along school, clan and family lines are important element social life of the country.
The officer corps has also long valued the traditional ties maintained by graduates of military schools; officers see them as the basis of the strength of military units. According to the constitution of 1948, in South Korea, women were granted full and equal rights with men. Starting from the 1960s, along with the traditional huge role of women in agriculture, the share of women in socially useful labor, in industry, increased, and the number of women who received higher education increased. All this contributed to the growth of their social identity. In the 1980s, government organizations were created in South Korea to address issues related to the status of women. However, at the everyday level, traditional Confucian ideas about the degraded position of women in the family and society are still strong. A wife can get a divorce, but she rarely gets remarried. As a rule, Korean women find themselves low-paid jobs as waitresses, maids, and small employees. In an industry where women's work is widely used, they have longer working hours and lower wages than men. Many women are involved in starting their own small businesses, such as tailor shops, tea rooms, bars or beauty salons. Currently, there is an imbalance of boys and girls in the lower grades of the South Korean school. In the context of the traditional family preference for sons, as well as in connection with the emergence of methods for determining the sex of a child in the womb, the practice of targeted abortions (if a girl was expected) has become widespread.
CULTURE
In Korea, people who are educated and not deprived have long been honored literary gift. They were required to be familiar with the classical cultural heritage of China and master the Chinese script. The training was aimed at preparing Korean youth for public service. Only members of the ruling elite, the yangbans, could afford several years of intensive training. As a result, it was their efforts that maintained a decent level of humanitarian knowledge in the country. A different situation was observed in the natural sciences and fine arts, to the development of which only a few well-educated yangbans made a significant contribution (mainly their success was manifested in painting and calligraphy). The leading figures were people of modest social status - specialists in technology, artisans, artisans.
THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA
Public education. In the early 1990s, there were more than 5.3 million students in the elementary grades of the school, and 4.6 million more in the senior classes. The initial 6-year stage of education is compulsory, free of charge and is controlled by the state. Further, parents will have to bear significant expenses, supplementing the insufficient budgetary allocations in the field of education, because subsequent studies are conducted on a paid basis. Most graduates of elementary school go on to junior high high school, of which only 70% of its graduates continue their education for another three years in a complete secondary school. Less than 40% of the enrollment in both levels of secondary school are girls who study separately. The emphasis in secondary school is on humanitarian subjects and technical and other vocational training, when provided, takes place predominantly in small private institutions. There were about 560 colleges and universities operating in the country in 1998, including colleges with an incomplete (two-year) course, teachers' colleges and graduate schools. About 1.5 million students studied there. The country's leading National Seoul University is located in the capital. Other public universities: Busan (in Busan), Chungnam (in Daejeon), Gyeongbuk (in Daegu), Jeonbuk (in Jeonju), Jeonnam (in Gwangju), Andong and Gangwon (in Chuncheon). Major private universities include: Korea, Chunan, Dongguk, Hangyang, Konguk, Menji, Sejong, Seogang, Sungkyunkwan, and Yonsei (all in Seoul), Joseon (in Gwangju), Tona (in Busan) and Kaemen (in Daegu).
Fiction and painting. In the 20th century Prose writers Lee In-jik, Lee Gwang-su, Kim Dong-in, Park Jung-hwa and Ahn Su-gil, poet Kim So-wol, essayist Kim Chin-sop, and playwrights Oh Yeon-jin and Yu Ch-jin were the most famous. In the 20th century in Korean painting, the revival of the original forms of national art is more successful than the perception of the achievements of foreign masters. Works of the traditional type attributed to the East Asian school of art, especially landscapes, exist side by side with Western-style paintings. The leader of the first direction is Lee Sang-beom. The principles of modernism are embodied in their work by Kim Inseong and Lee Inseong. The art of calligraphy was represented by Oh Sechan. Kim Baekjin is a pioneer of modern architecture, while Kim Jeongyeon has gained international fame for his abstract designs. Korean-made artistic lacquerware inlaid with mother-of-pearl and forged brass chests are highly valued.
The science. Korea is rich in scientists in such fields as astronomy, meteorology, as well as specialists in printing, agronomy, shipbuilding, and engineers. Examples of major achievements are the astronomical observatory "Chomseongdae", which has been preserved near Gyeongju, built in the 7th century. on the lands of the kingdom of Silla, and a rain gauge invented in the 15th century, a movable metal type (12th century), armored ship kobukson ("turtle ship") (16th century). Scientists of the "Sirkhak" school (16-19 centuries) made a huge contribution to the development of science. In South Korea, the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan was established in 1954. When it was created, it had 80 members and was divided into two departments: humanitarian and natural-technical. Then the National Academy of Natural Sciences and the National Academy of Humanities were formed. Privately (including with the participation of American foundations) the Scientific historical society"Chindan", which is a leading organization dedicated to the study of the history and culture of Korea. The National Museum in Seoul (established in 1916) is the first-class institution of its kind in the country. Its collections include mainly historical artifacts. One of the urgent tasks in the cultural sphere is the development of librarianship. In South Korea in 1992 the book stock of the National, Public and University Libraries totaled 25 million titles. Almost half of them are classical Chinese works on history, literature, social thought and other humanities and works in Japanese and Western European languages. The National Library has 1.8 million items. In the network of educational institutions, National Seoul University stands out, whose library fund is approximately 1.3 million volumes. The collection of sources characterizing the rule of the Li dynasty is especially rich.
Press. Daily editions are printed mainly in Seoul. The most influential metropolitan newspapers are Tona Ilbo, Chosun Ilbo, Hanguk Ilbo, and Gyeonghyang Sinmun. The first two were founded in 1920. In receiving information from abroad, the press depends on semi-official news agencies.
Mass art. South Korean broadcasting in the mid-1990s was dominated by the state-run Korean Broadcasting System, which has three main radio stations and 26 local affiliates. In 1992, 43 television channels were registered in the country, 24 state and 19 commercial. Almost every family owned a television, of which there were more than 8 million. In addition, round-the-clock radio and television broadcasts for their military contingent are carried out by the corresponding service of the American armed forces in South Korea. There are 29 private radio stations, of which 8 belong to Christian communities. Modern cinematography began to develop in South Korea after 1945. In the 1950s, the government exempted domestic cinematography from taxes in order to develop cinematography. Thanks to this, in the late 1950s, up to 100 films a year were released, in the 1960s - about 200. Currently, about 100 Korean films are released on the screen. Many of them have won recognition at international film festivals. Many films are bought abroad, primarily in the USA. The country has a rich musical culture, the foundations of which (like musical instruments) were adopted from China. The national heritage lies mainly in folk songs. Western classical music is often heard in the daytime broadcasts of all radio stations. Seoul has two highly professional symphony orchestras. There are also artistic troupes whose limited repertoire consists mainly of Italian operas. The theaters of puppets and masks, embodying the ancient dramatic art, have attracted increasing interest in recent years. The musical drama continues to attract fans of the scene.
Sport. Some traditional sports remain popular today. Major archery and kite-flying competitions are annual events in the South, while in the countryside there is continued interest in traditional forms of wrestling. Korean taekwondo wrestling is included in professional sports. Various sports are enthusiastically embraced by South Korean youth. Baseball and gymnastics, as well as judo, are gaining ground in schools.
Lifestyle and holidays. A typical village house, 2-4 rooms, has adobe or sifted earth walls and a thatched roof. Translucent paper is still often inserted into small windows instead of glass. Outbuildings are located on the plot. The source of water supply is an individual or public well. Most village dwellings are not electrified. Houses of middle-class citizens and wealthy villagers are increasingly being built on stone foundations; it is customary to apply a pattern on plastered walls with red or blue paint. The windows are glazed and sometimes framed with beautiful wooden frames; roofs are tiled. A water drain is installed in the yard, and there is usually no running water in the dwelling itself. The traditional heating system is preserved - ondol ("warm floor"), in which pipes are laid under the floor of living rooms - through them warm air comes from the hearth in the kitchen. In the southern regions, portable braziers are widely used; an open hearth is common on Jeju Island. New buildings usually deviate from the traditional appearance and resemble bungalows and other buildings of European tin. There are also traces of the former presence of the Japanese. It is not uncommon for wealthy people to own Western-style housing that expresses Korean and Japanese architectural elements. apartment buildings have not been widely adopted. Steamed rice without salt forms the basis of the Korean meal, and in Korean the word pap, i.e. boiled rice, also means "food" or "meal". Typically, rice is consumed along with various spicy seasonings (from soy) and additional dishes (panchan), of which kimchi is especially important - a salad of pickled vegetables, primarily white radish (mu) and Chinese cabbage (baechhu). Soups are also common and usually contain seaweed or pieces of meat or fish. Spices are usually added to Korean dishes, especially pepper and salt. Pork and beef are common in the diet of the local population, and chicken is considered a delicacy. In old Korea, marriages were negotiated by the parents of the young through intermediaries, and the social status of the groom's family was taken into account first of all. Yangbans, i.e. in the upper stratum, it was customary to marry a son at 12-13 years old, sometimes even earlier, while the age of the bride could approach 20 years. This custom has now undergone a radical change. It is not uncommon for men today to marry at the age of 30. Public opinion encourages the early marriage of girls. Marriage in one's own exogamous group is prohibited by law. The practice of having a concubine has become clearly less common than in the past, but often a husband simply leaves his wife for the sake of another woman. A woman now has the right to demand a divorce, but must take into account her relationship with society. Major national holidays include New Year (Gregorian calendar), Samil Day (March 1; anniversary of the 1919 popular uprising for independence against Japanese rule), Constitution Day (July 17), Liberation Day (August 15), Korean Nationality Day (3 October; in memory of the founding of the state of Ancient Joseon by the mythical Tangun) and Hangul Day (October 9; in honor of the creation Korean alphabet). Chuseok (lit. "Autumn Evening") is a harvest festival, one of the biggest holidays of the year falls on the 15th day of the eighth month of the year according to the lunar calendar. In addition, there are many others significant dates. The main of these holidays are Buddha's Birthday (April 8) and the summer festival of Tano, which falls on the 5th day of the fifth lunar month and is accompanied by mass festivities and visits to the graves of ancestors. Korean New Year (Sol), the first day of the lunar year, is usually celebrated with family today. Many Koreans celebrate Christmas (December 25).
North Korea
Public education. The Kim Il Sung University, founded on October 1, 1946, became the first institution of higher education in the DPRK. Research institutes operate at the university. The library has more than 2 million volumes. Since 1966, the main attention in the DPRK has been given to the training of scientific and technical personnel. Since 1975, an 11-year term of study has become mandatory, which is based on a general or special program. Typically a child spends 1 year in kindergarten, 5 years in elementary school and 6 years in high school. At the same time, those who have completed an incomplete secondary school can study at school for another 3 years or enter a pedagogical school or a higher technical school, for graduates of which the road to universities is opened. Special schools have 11-year programs for teaching the humanities and foreign languages. Secondary education is free, but there is a nominal fee for the right to be a student at Kim Il Sung University or other institutions of higher education. In total, the system of public education in the country covers more than 10,000 educational institutions, in which about 5 million people studied. The Academy of Sciences of the DPRK was established in 1952.
Cultural services to the population. As the economic development of North Korea, its authorities stepped up efforts to open new theatres, libraries, museums, as well as sanatoriums for the recreation of working people. Cinemas show mostly documentaries. The entire field of performing arts, including cinematography, drama theatre, classical Korean and Western choreography, musical performances, is funded and controlled by the state. Political themes, reflecting recent events or the modern "socialist" way of life, are considered an important tool for ideological influence on the masses. The press and fiction also serve as a powerful tool state power. The leading daily newspapers are the Workers' Party of Korea organ Rodong Sinmun (Workers' Newspaper) and the government's Minju Joseon (Democratic Korea). Many scientific and technical journals are published. In fiction, the works of authors who were valued for their fidelity to the method of socialist realism are popular - Lee Giena, Song Yong, Han Serya. From the mid-1960s to the mid-1990s, most writers participated in one way or another in the campaign to form a cult of Kim Il Sung.
Modern trends of modernization. With the rebuilding of war-ravaged cities and the socialist transformation of the economy, the way of life of the North Koreans has undergone noticeable changes. The urban landscape is dominated by apartment buildings. The cultural needs of citizens are increasingly being met directly at enterprises and institutions. In rural areas, sprawling cooperative farms have given rise to agro-villages that take on social and cultural functions that were previously performed only by cities. In many ways, this process was accelerated by the electrification of the village. See below

Seoul is the city of the future, the fabulous and amazing capital of Korea, which harmoniously combines fashionable buildings, expensive cars, countless lights of expensive shops and traditional Korean boat-shaped buildings. Seoul is in the top five in the ranking of cities from the distant future, along with Dubai, Singapore, Tokyo and Shanghai. At a time when the warring neighbor - North Korea is developing a new atomic weapon, conducting tests at test sites, storming its inhabitants in the spirit of obedience to power, South Korea can only smile serenely, building new entertainment complexes, and stepping a few steps forward in terms of achievements in the world technology and science.

The word "Korea" comes from the name of the settlement "Kore", which existed on the peninsula almost a thousand years ago of our era. The name Kore, in turn, has its origins from the name of the ancient state of Koguryo - a large and prosperous state, which at one time occupied part of the northern Korean peninsula, the modern territory of northeastern China and Russian Primorye.

Getting to Seoul

Flights to Seoul depart every day with Aeroflot and Korean Air. From Incheon International Airport in Seoul, you can get to the city center by train, bus or taxi. After arriving at the airport, you can easily reach the center by rail, where two types of trains run: regular and high-speed. A regular train on the way to the center makes 10 stops, and you will leave 55 minutes on the road, and the high-speed train follows from the stop itself from the airport to Seoul Station without stops (on the way 43 minutes). You can find the Inchihon International Airport train station by going down to the subway on the first floor of the airport. The operating mode of a regular train in the direction of the airport is Seoul Station from 5.25 to 23.45, the return journey is from 5.20 to 23.38, and the high-speed train is from 5.20 to 21.20, back from 6.00 to 10.00.

From the airport to Seoul, there are also regular buses that run to the city, and fixed-route taxis that can take you to your hotel. Also, when booking a hotel, you can order a shuttle bus service - a transfer that will take you directly to the hotel. You can also get to the center of Seoul by bus to Gimpo Airport, near which there is a subway station of the same name, take the subway and get to the desired station.

You can also take a taxi from the airport, but this is an expensive pleasure, firstly, because the airport is located 70 kilometers from the city of Seoul, and, secondly, a taxi can travel along toll highways, for which you need to pay the passenger.

What to see in Seoul

Gyeongbokgung Palace is the oldest building in the city, which used to house the government residence, and now it is the hallmark of the city. It is unrealistic not to notice the palace complex, due to the very good location of the building, it is located in the very heart of the city - at the end of the main street of Seoul Seyongro (Sejongro) and a stone's throw from the "Blue House" (Blue House) - the residence of the president.

The palace embodies the culture and customs of Korea, walking through the tiers of the building, you will plunge into the history of the government of the ancient leaders. Entrance to the territory costs about 3,000 (3 dollars), guards dressed in national costume stand on the square of the territory.

The National Museum of Korea - two futuristic buildings connected by a corridor - the ceiling, the first building is the museum itself, and the other is a large library with a collection of books in Korean. The building inside is made of large marble slabs, all the exhibits inside reproduce the history and culture of the Korean people.

Walking through the village of Bukchon Hanok (Bukchon Hanok Village), you seem to be transported to another era, everything here is preserved in traditional style, getting here it seems as if Seoul has moved in time, and Bukchon Hanok Village has not been marked in a time machine.

Also, after visiting Seoul, you should go to the Lotte World amusement park, take a walk along the promenade, take a walk to the high point of Bugaksan Mountain, stroll through the Itaewon district full of bars and nightlife, visit the war memorial of the Republic of Korea.

Prices in Seoul

Seoul is divided into two parts on both sides of the Hangang River, the area in the city is divided into 25 parts (districts) - 11 of these areas are cultural, residential and commercial quarters where tourists can stay. The most interesting places to settle in Seoul are: Gangnam-gu, Insadong, Samcheondong, Hongdae, Jongno Street District, Myeongdong, Apgujeong, Itaewon.

First of all, you need to pay attention to the area when choosing a place of residence or a hotel in the capital of South Korea. Hotels in Korea have a certain classification:

European type hotels (hotels and hostels),

Korean type (yoguan),

Korean family accommodation (minbak),

Residential houses on the territory of monasteries or parks,

Hotels for the settlement of a large youth company (yusyhostel).

European hotels in South Korea are represented by the most popular complexes - Hilton, Novotel, Sheraton, Intercontinental, Marriot and others.

Yeoguan is a special version of a hostel-type hotel, there are options for a family-type settlement, as well as two or three-bed rooms. Yeoguans are a fairly economical way of accommodation, but before checking in, you need to check the level of equipment with amenities, some rooms may not have a bed, because Koreans prefer to sleep on the floor. Minbaks are located in rural areas where there are no hotels or other places to settle. Sanzhangs are modest wooden houses on the territory of monasteries or park areas, where you can settle only in the summer. Yusyhotel is a variant of a youth hotel without special amenities. And of course, in Seoul you can also find a large number of hostels of different levels.

Traditional cuisine and customs

In Korean restaurants, people eat not only with chopsticks, but also with spoons. Koreans have been using the spoon as a cutlery since the end of the 5th century. A stick and a small spoon with a long handle are the main cutlery of the sujo set, they are usually made of silver or stainless steel.

Koreans do not serve the table with personal plates, all the main dishes are distributed in the center of the table, and small containers for salads or sauces are placed on the sides of the table. Koreans have similarities with Russians, not outwardly, but in unlimited opportunities to drink vodka. It is impossible to refuse a poured shot of vodka, this will be taken into account as disrespect for the one who treats or pours. Pouring vodka into a glass for yourself is also not allowed - it is considered disrespectful to the owner of the restaurant.

Most interesting places Seoul - Baedongbaji, Sanchon, Slobbie, Sawore Boribap, Myeongdong Kyoja, Vatos Urban Tacos, Tosokchon, Kyotofu, Goshen, Passion 5 and others.

In a rather unusual and interesting institution Baedongbaji for 15 euros per person, you can taste a set lunch, which will include all traditional dishes: transparent noodles, stew with beans and vegetables, fried fish with vegetables. You can also order national food at the Arirang Folk Restauran, located inside the Westin Chosun Hotel.

Seoul International Fireworks Festival

If your trip to the capital of South Korea falls in October, then you will be lucky enough to see the legendary, large-scale and enchanting fireworks festival with your own eyes. The festival has been held since 2000, where the mastery of pyrotechnics surprises with the beauty of the lights, the unusual shapes of fireworks lights. To participate in the fireworks show, teams from all over the world come together to compete with each other, and also show the audience the latest developments in pyrotechnic art. The spectacle of millions of fireworks lasts for several minutes, but remains in memory forever.